Facts are many, but the truth is one. If you shut your door to all errors truth will be shut out.

21 April, 2009

Najib has to clear his name !

"The People's Parliament" will continue to oppose Datuk Seri Najib Razak's appointment as prime minister despite the failure of their previous petition against him to net results.

"We will continue to address the point that Najib was not appointed through a popular vote, but by politicking in Umno," The People's Parliament moderator Haris Ibrahim told The Nut Graph, adding that he himself would do so whenever an opportunity arose in the public sphere.

"The fact remains that the questions that motivated the petition have gone unanswered," Haris, who is a lawyer and activist, added.

Haris stressed that political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda's acquittal and the conviction of police officers Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar did nothing to dispel doubt over Najib's integrity and restore confidence in the premier.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Haris characterised the Agong's decision to appoint Najib as prime minister, despite widespread reservation in the Malaysian public, as "alarming", and took it as proof of the lack of democracy in Malaysian government.

"I will continue to wear my black arm band in public, to mourn the death of democracy in Malaysia," Haris said.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused the international media of trying to demonise Malaysia's new leader, who is battling opposition accusations of links to corruption and murder.

Mahathir's defense of Prime Minister Najib Razak reflects concerns within the ruling party that the leader's reputation has been tarnished because of unproven allegations by political adversaries.

Mahathir said many articles published in the Western media when Najib took power earlier this month were 'anti-Najib stories' that highlighted the accusations against him.

'From France to Britain to Australia, the articles are identical and carried the same message,' Mahathir wrote on his blog. 'I cannot believe that this demonisation by so many at the same time is a coincidence.'

Mahathir - a strident critic of the Western media during his 22 years as prime minister before stepping down in 2003 - said Najib should brace himself for more foreign criticism, but added that it was ultimately with Malaysians 'that Najib has to clear his name.'

DEMONISATION

1. The Western Press launched a concerted effort to demonise the new Prime Minister. From France to Britain to Australia, the articles are identical and carried the same message. The in-coming PM is said to be corrupt and involved in a murder case. The Australian writer says Malaysia is a "pariah" nation. I cannot believe that this demonisation by so many at the same time is a coincidence.

2. Included in the condemnation of the new PM is the allegation that he would bring back "Mahathirism". By this the Western press seem to imply that the fourth PM was a dictator who detained for no reason, manipulated the judiciary, controlled the Press etc etc.

3. As the person concerned I will leave it to Malaysians to judge and to define "Mahathirism". They are the constituents which Najib should care about. The foreign press has an agenda of their own. And their friends in Malaysia are feeding them with the anti-Najib stories as they fear Najib would put a stop to their control of the media.

4. Najib can expect to hear more of this kind of demonisation from the foreign press but it is what Malaysians think that counts. It is with them that Najib has to clear his name.